In Response to Schmitt et al: Data Do Not Support Exclusionary Policies.

Abstract

In their reply to our Viewpoint, Schmitt and colleagues raise important considerations regarding safety and ethics in body donation. We share their commitment to program integrity but respectfully disagree with several aspects of their framing. Our initial viewpoint focused on body donation to medical schools for the specific education of physicians and other allied healthcare workers. Historical exclusion of donors with HIV, HBV, and HCV reflect outdated understandings of risk that no longer align with current science or infection-control standards. Characterizing health sciences students as a "vulnerable group" misconstrues both their training and the intent of bioethical protections, which were designed to ensure safety, not justify exclusion. Evidence demonstrates that with universal precautions, embalmed donors pose negligible infectious risk, and large-scale reliance on post-exposure prophylaxis is unwarranted. Inclusion of donors with well-controlled infections enhances education, equity, public trust, and fosters person-centered compassion. As one of the largest body donation programs in the U.S., the University of California is uniquely positioned to lead in modernizing donation policies that reflect evidence, ethics, and respect for all individuals who choose to contribute to science.